rec.sport.unicycling · Public discussion

UDCmart?

Started by Brian MacKenzie · · Last activity · 16 posts · 427 views

This thread is locked and is currently read-only.

Thread navigation

Jump through the discussion

Go to the original post, the replies on this page, or the latest preserved contribution.

Thread details

What we know about this thread

Original section
rec.sport.unicycling
Published
4 March 2006
Last activity
5 March 2006
Original author
Brian MacKenzie
Posts
16
Discussion status
Public discussion
Total views
427
Views / 30 days
0

The navigation and discussion metadata provide context. Posts remain in their original chronological order.

Showing posts 1–16 of 16
Posts remain in their original chronological order.

Text size
  1. I wonder...

    How do 'mom and pop' unicycle vendors survive if a major unicycle
    vendor moves into town (or into the country) ?

    Are they subject to the same pressures of your typical
    hardware/fabriic/clothing store when a Walmart moves into town?

    Are people willing to still shop at 'the local unicycle store' as
    opposed to the the globally dominating unicycle.com?

    What makes someone wish to deal with a major unicycle vendor as opposed
    to a local homegrown one?

    Are online sales the only way to survive these days?

    Thoughts on the matter?

    --
    Brian MacKenzie

    'Training Wheel Not Required DVD - New 6min short as seen on
    www.unicycle.tv' (http://www.LBMmultimedia.com/videos/TWNR_uniTV.wmv)
    All proceeds from TWNR go directly into my next movie due for release
    Sept 1 2006
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Brian MacKenzie's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/7650
    View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/47446

  2. A local exclusive unicycle store would go out of business immediately.
    The LBS tell me they sell 1 unicycle a month, but I don't believe
    business is that good.

    The web is the only way to go. Tom Miller at the unicycle factory, (not
    exactly your mom and pop store ) will tell you how the web competition
    (and cheap imports) has taken his business away from him.

    UDC has done a remarkable marketing job, they are on the web and in the
    local stores. The LBS go to UDC for their unicycles. Also UDC is great
    if there are any concerns after the sale. Mom and pop stores,
    especially those not aligned with UDC do not have a chance. UDC is the
    walmart of unicycles.

    My 2 cents.

    Also I go to UDC or other web stores, becase they have the best
    selection and price. UPS does the rest.

    --
    Chrashing

    Regards,___________If the sun is shinning I want to be riding.
    Ken
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Chrashing's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/7501
    View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/47446

  3. is there such a thing as a local unicycle store?

    --
    James_Potter

    i still believe that all you need is love...john lennon

    mikael atkinson
    mdotedotatkinsonatgmaildotcom
    *President of the 'MRIS' (http://tinyurl.com/dk2de)*, reply number
    '50,000' (http://tinyurl.com/d5pmu) in the most replys thread
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    James_Potter's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/3807
    View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/47446

  4. James_Potter said:

    is there such a thing as a local unicycle store?

    There's one in Toronto.🙂

    --
    spyder

    tyler says:

    sorry about my obtuse post. i'll try not to anymore but this is jc

    i'm the one that looks like pam anderson

    don't worry i'm not a nerd

    if you had the mental capacity to ignore me you'd have never had this
    little turd in your life's toilet

    this again is going to sound like asking forgiveness
    but i really will stop this and i get the picture.i definitely
    understand and i will think before posting from now on

    sorry for the pointless thread but it's kind of a trend now
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    spyder's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/4190
    View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/47446

  5. Brian MacKenzie said:

    I wonder...

    How do 'mom and pop' unicycle vendors survive if a major unicycle
    vendor moves into town (or into the country) ?

    Are they subject to the same pressures of your typical
    hardware/fabriic/clothing store when a Walmart moves into town?

    Are people willing to still shop at 'the local unicycle store' as
    opposed to the the globally dominating unicycle.com?

    What makes someone wish to deal with a major unicycle vendor as opposed
    to a local homegrown one?

    Are online sales the only way to survive these days?

    Thoughts on the matter?

    Great Questions!
    Easy Answers!

    1. Mom and Pops need to have a creative way to attract new riders as
    well as servicing the existing ones.

    You need to have sales people that dream about unicycles(specialists)

    All that so called service that is done through the mail (who has 3-5
    days to wait for an exchanged component that was damaged out of the box
    due to shipping),?.

    2. The pressures are different when your choices are: (Live or Web)
    a) Not being able to feel or touch the product live.
    b) Not being able to take that uni home with you to ride that
    day.
    c) Not knowing the exact date the uni will show up in the
    mail.
    d) Not being able to return it that day for the better model.

    e) UDC would do best if it were able to concentrate on

    wholesale distribution.
    f) But, the salespeople in the brick and mortar locations
    aren’t educated enough to get the uni's in the hands of the
    consumer.
    Enter our new device, Now bike shops will have the ammunition they need
    to move unicycles.

    3. If consumers have no place locally to go that offers the expertise
    necessary to make them feel comfortable they will fall back on the next
    best resource(the Web).

    4. Tell me you wouldn’t love to Cruise down the block and try out
    the new (?) model unicycle that just came out on a great obstacle
    course etc?

    5. Not having a local shop to turn to forces everyone to buy from the
    only place they find when surfing the web.

    6. Certain things are great to purchase via the web. Unicycles and most
    products involving service are not as with bicycles. At the moment
    people don't have much of an option.

    7. *-_Just_One_Wheel_has_the_solution._-*
    *-_Our_goal_-* to build on to the existing rider ship while servicing
    the existing ones.

    With our recently patented device we will be able to allow bike shops
    and alike all over the world the opportunity to give their customers a
    ride on a unicycle without ever learning how to ride. -Tell me that
    won't increase the number of unicycles in consumers hands.-

    This device will also be mass marketed to consumers as a device similar
    to a bicycles training wheels but with the ability to prevent fall
    within 360 degrees.
    Tell me honestly how many people would be riding bicycles if it
    weren’t for training wheels?

    This device has allowed us to build a -new- and -unique- business model
    around unicycling.
    -

    Why the device?-

    It's part of the answer to Brians questions.

    In order to grow unicycling you need to -Motivate- and -Educate- the
    consumer.
    How else would you convince an average consumer:
    a) They too can ride
    b) This is what it feels like

    Just One Wheel will be filling the gap that has prevented unicycling
    from growing at the speed we would all expect.
    By finding the proper way to nurture the sport locally.
    This facility will be the first of its kind and all about fun.
    The way in which we will expand the growth of the sport nationally in
    the future will be through specialty franchises of our model.

    We hope to launch before the summers end.

    Have Fun!!

    P.S. Brian, the device is now beed patent protected and is also set up
    for training as well. You being the only one part of the unicycle
    community to view this device.

    Adam
    Just One Wheel Inc,

    --
    JustOneWheel

    There is no better way to have Fun and Exercise. "UNICYCLE"
    Every one should have "FUN ON ONE"
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    JustOneWheel's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/9237
    View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/47446

  6. spyder said:

    There's one in Toronto.🙂

    pfft, thats Bedford, not a local unicycle shop...Bedford is to
    unicycledotcom like Target is to Wal*Mart.

    --
    James_Potter

    i still believe that all you need is love...john lennon

    mikael atkinson
    mdotedotatkinsonatgmaildotcom
    *President of the 'MRIS' (http://tinyurl.com/dk2de)*, reply number
    '50,000' (http://tinyurl.com/d5pmu) in the most replys thread
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    James_Potter's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/3807
    View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/47446

  7. If you live in Toronto it's local 😉 Wish we had a Bedford's in
    Sherbrooke... or even Montrieal :'(

    --
    evil-nick

    Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total
    obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and
    through me. And when it has gone past, I will turn the inner eye to see
    its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will
    remain.

    * Bene Gesserit Litany Against Fear.

    I'm late for checkers with the Dalai Lama!

    My gallery:
    http://evil.linuxfreak.ca/uni.html
    Our Club:
    http://cs.ubishops.ca/~buuc/
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    evil-nick's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/6692
    View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/47446

  8. wow Adam, or I suppose 'Pop' might be a better term!

    Congrats on getting this thing off the ground 🙂

    Good job to my favourite guy who calls Pizzas 'Pies'

    (PS...my question wasn't posed as an intro to Adam!!)

    how bout you gimme a call when you are available?

    --
    Brian MacKenzie

    'Training Wheel Not Required DVD - New 6min short as seen on
    www.unicycle.tv' (http://www.LBMmultimedia.com/videos/TWNR_uniTV.wmv)
    All proceeds from TWNR go directly into my next movie due for release
    Sept 1 2006
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Brian MacKenzie's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/7650
    View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/47446

  9. JustOneWheel said:

    With our recently patented device we will be able to allow bike shops
    and alike all over the world the opportunity to give their customers a
    ride on a unicycle without ever learning how to ride. -Tell me that
    won't increase the number of unicycles in consumers hands.-

    This device will also be mass marketed to consumers as a device similar
    to a bicycles training wheels but with the ability to prevent fall
    within 360 degrees.

    Sorry, you can't patent that, it's 'already been invented'
    (http://www.gilby.com/unicycling/AutoBalance.html). :p

    --
    Gilby
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Gilby's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/1
    View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/47446

  10. James_Potter said:

    is there such a thing as a local unicycle store?

    'Seattle Bike Supply' (http://www.seattlebikesupply.com/) (SBS), who
    distributes and designs 'Torker' (http://www.torkerusa.com/), is local
    for me. 🙂

    Every bike shop in the Seattle area seems to have a couple Torker
    unicycles in stock. 'Harvy's Bike Shop'
    (http://www.harvysbikeshop.com/) in Seattle also carries a large number
    of unicycles in stock. Most of what they carry is from UDC, but they
    also get Torker from SBS. Kind of neat to walk into a bike shop and
    see a Coker hanging up from the rafters.

    --
    john_childs

    john_childs (att) hotmail (dott) com
    Gallery: http://gallery.unicyclist.com/john_childs
    'Unicycling Bookmark List' (http://backcountry.unicyclist.com/) ::
    'World Clock' (http://tinyurl.com/a99y3)
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    john_childs's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/449
    View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/47446

  11. My LBS had a cheapy learner in stock. I don't think they ever sold it
    though.

    Cathy

    --
    cathwood

    Say no to unicycle genre discrimination! - MrBoogiejuice

    http://www.chuckingandtwirling.co.uk
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    cathwood's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/9425
    View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/47446

  12. My LBS is with torkers, i would of bought my DX from them but id rather
    save 100 dollars from getting one on ebay =p

    --
    Jerrick

    What would you do to me if i was passed out on your bed? o.0
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Jerrick's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/11632
    View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/47446

  13. in the local Minnesota - St Paul, Minneapolis area there is now
    Compulsion Cycles.
    site is still under development, but
    www.compulsioncycles.com

    --
    dorkybarb

    ------------------------------------------------
    They say cookies hide behind every door,
    then I must be opening windows.
    -this is my brother jims version of-
    The say love hides behind every corner, then I must be walking in
    circles
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    dorkybarb's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/10681
    View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/47446

  14. The answer has already been mentioned, and is quite straightforward. Any
    LBS will tell you they sell a couple of unicycles a month. Even the
    Pashley shop in Stratford, which has 3 or 4 unicycles of varying
    specifications in the window and on prominent display hasn't sold any
    in the past 6 months (that was when I was last in there, a few months
    ago).

    Roger, in a peak period (i.e the week before Christmas) is selling,
    processing, packing and shipping 50 unicycles a day. And at normal
    time's he's processing 20 a day.

    Loose.

    --
    Loosemoose

    "Come on you target for far away laughter,
    come on you stranger, you legend, you martyr, and shine..." - Pink
    Floyd
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Loosemoose's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/6326
    View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/47446

  15. i live in australia and udc is just taking off here.

    if i do a google search (refined to australian pages only) the top of
    the list is an LBS in brisbane (GAP cycles for those who know it). UDC
    australia is not even there😕 . i have to key the actual URL
    into google to find it. not good for Guy at UDC.au who i have a lot of
    respect for (and who sponsors me).

    GAP cycles sell GP unicycles -basicly summit/kh04. they also sell
    nimbus unis and a few others. from what i have heard they also do a bit
    of custom work and are happy to put together unis to your
    specifications.

    GAP cycles sponsors Alex Toms, Andrew Carter and Dan Cowling -some of
    the top aussie riders.

    For an LBS i reckon they are doing ok.

    --
    max_pfeifer

    what do you give to the man who has everything? ...Nothing!
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    max_pfeifer's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/7644
    View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/47446


  16. Quoted message said:

    i live in australia and udc is just taking off here.

    if i do a google search (refined to australian pages only) the top of
    the list is an LBS in brisbane (GAP cycles for those who know it). UDC
    australia is not even there . i have to key the actual URL into google
    to find it. not good for Guy at UDC.au who i have a lot of respect for
    (and who sponsors me).

    GAP cycles sell GP unicycles -basicly summit/kh04. they also sell
    nimbus unis and a few others. from what i have heard they also do a bit
    of custom work and are happy to put together unis to your
    specifications.

    GAP cycles sponsors Alex Toms, Andrew Carter and Dan Cowling -some of
    the top aussie riders.

    For an LBS i reckon they are doing ok.

    UDC Austraila hasn't been around as long as gap unicycles, and i think
    udc is going to take over pretty soon. because they have a much bigger
    range, get new stuff more regulary and there website is heaps easier to
    use and order from.

    --
    president_luke
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    president_luke's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/11036
    View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/47446

Active in the last 60 minutes

Active in this thread

0 users · 0 guests ·0 bots ·0 total

No signed-in users are active right now.

No known search crawlers active right now.